1. What do you get when you mix a livelong love of office supplies and an author with ten almost eleven books of quotes? This:
I have Oprah to blame (or thank) for these. I was listening to Oprah Radio (what?) and heard a commercial for custom made pens. Immediately, I was interested. Mostly because I LOVE all things school supply related, but also because I’ve been looking for something fun to give away that isn’t size dependent/bulky to pack like T-shirts. Fifteen minutes later, I had placed an order with these three quotes. I know it’s nerdy, but I am SO excited. I want to order more, with other quotes, once I figure out which ones I should use. And then I need to come up with a way to distribute them, other than leaving them all over Chapel Hill, which of course I am already doing. Maybe shoot them out of one of those T-shirt cannons at my next reading? Actually, that sounds kind of dangerous. Back to the drawing board. (See that? A pen joke!)
2. Is it October yet? No? Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like MOST of September whizzed past. It feels like it was just my kid’s birthday, and that was way back on the second. But this last week? It’s like GLACIAL in its speed, like the days are dragging their feet as much as possible. It’s not like I should be in a hurry for October, anyway: the days will get even shorter, it’s going to start getting dark before dinnertime, and I always get kind of down when that happens. But it’s coming. It’s happening. It’s inevitable, so we need to just GET TO IT. Snap out of it, September! I’m looking at you, 29th and 30th.
3. On the book front, I’m probably the only person who didn’t run out and get THE CASUAL VACANCY this week. I totally want to read it, but I am so far behind on my To Read pile it’s embarrassing. This week I did read a REALLY good YA novel that coming out from Knopf in January: it’s called THE TRAGEDY PAPER, and it’s a debut novel from Elizabeth Laban. It sort of reminded me of LOOKING FOR ALASKA in some ways, which, as John Green fans know, is high praise indeed. On audio, I started Dan Savage’s THE COMMITMENT, then got kind of tired of it (not his fault, totally mine, I am very impatient when it comes to audiobooks) so now I’m listening to Penny Marshall’s MY MOTHER WAS NUTS. She reads it herself, which really makes the book, although every time my husband gets in my car and it’s on he says, “Is that David Sedaris?” People: Penny Marshall sounds NOTHING like David Sedaris. At least, not to me. Next up in Real Books (i.e. not audio or iPad) I’m finally going to let myself read Jonathan Tropper’s ONE LAST THING BEFORE I GO, which I’ve been saving for my flight up and back to New York next week. It was VERY hard to be patient, but I managed. Only two more days to go. Of course, they are September 29th and 30th. Uh-oh…
4. Now, a quick update on the boot front. Remember when I was all ambivalent about buying a pair, even though they are CLEARLY going nowhere as a trend? And then RIGHT after I wrote that entry, I went to Nordstrom Rack, saw a pair I liked, and took the plunge? Well, the good news is that I HAVE been wearing them and am getting used to how they look. The bad news is that every single time anyone says anything like, “Nice boots!” or “I like your boots,” I feel the need to fill them in on the ENTIRE BACKSTORY as well as ALL MY NEUROSIS and SELF TALK that was involved in the decision. It’s like a therapy session they never agreed to be a part of. They were just being nice! I swear, I REALLY need to work on my need to explain myself to anyone who will listen. With my, you know, ACTUAL therapist. And not some random person in the dressing room at my gym. Sigh.
5. It’s been a sad week at this house, as we’ve come to the realization that we REALLY have to find new homes for some of our little chickens. The roosters, to be specific. They are so cute, with their feathered feet and pecking little noses. But they start crowing BEFORE the sun is up, and for small animals they are LOUD. It’s endless and I am so scared my neighbors hate me, if they didn’t already from the OTHER rooster, who at least is contained until daybreak. We’re going to build the little guys a better, more sound-strong coop, but still, five roosters is really four too many. And you don’t know HOW many you’ll get when you order them as chicks. So we put an ad up on a local bulletin board, hoping someone with a big yard and NO neighbors (or hearing impaired ones) will be interested. I feel so rotten about it, though. They’re just roosters, doing what roosters do. Although, LOUDLY. And at 5am. Sorry, neighbors, if you are reading this. We’re working on it…
Have a great weekend, everyone!
I love the pens! Maybe you could somehow distribute them to school libraries. We are a creative bunch and would love to come up with fun ways to promote your books and get the pens into students’ hands!
Oh my gosh I love those pens! I’m such a nerd about office supplies too. I would love to have pens with book quotes on them! I’d so buy a boat load of ‘em!
I adore the pens! Maybe you could send me one? ;D Or send me one for the blog I’m currently setting up and it could go as a giveaway for a review of one of your books?
I love the pens! You could do a giveaway on Twitter, where you name a quote from one of your books and you have to name the book it’s from. September has felt like it was quick. I do hate when we go back to it getting dark earlier. I love how it says dark till about 7. Your boots story reminds me some of when Monica got new boots on Friends and they were expensive, but they ended up killing her feet and she accidentally left them on some street in NYC. I am not morning person, so having something wake me up before the crack of dawn is not a good thing. I still understand your point about them just being roosters and just doing their thing. They do sound very cute though!
I wan’t a pen how can i get one?
Super cool pens! I love the Just Listen quote you used.
I’m hosting a Banned Books Week event at my school’s library next week – the pens would make a great giveaway! I got “The Casual Vacancy” delivered to my Kindle, but I haven’t started it yet. I’m afraid that it will not live up to my J. K. Rowling hype, but then I think, “It’s J. K. Rowling – how could it not?” I know it’s going to be so different from Harry Potter, but I’m looking forward to it. I feel kind of like I did when Nicole Krauss finally came out with a new book after “The History of Love,” which wasn’t as good as “The History of Love” but was still awesome. Happy reading, traveling, boot-wearing, and the rest of September to you!
Then pens are super cute!!!! I think that if you had like giveaways then it be cool. Also, I’m also stuck for the reading list. I’m in the middle of I Am Number Four, and I’m stuck. It’s ridiculous. And, of course I’m having a hard time waiting to get The Mark Of Athena, too. Again, Love the pens.
I WANT THOSE PENS! LIKE REALLY WANT THEM! Oh my gosh! PLEASE! I would treasure it!
Just sayin hey, cuz i now got my email. I LOVE YOUR BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the pens!! I would love to have pens with quotes from your books on them!! I have a whole poster of quotes from your books up on my wall.
Oh how I feel your pain about over explaining things. Yesterday was a prime example. I found an adorably work appropriate yet still fun Dress Barn kicky skirt and shirt set, at the Salvation Army for $2.50. So did I just thank the numerous people who told me they liked my outfit yesterday? No, instead I would reply with $2.50 at Salvation Army, can you believe it? I really need to work on my just say thank you skills. I’m not even going to get into when someone compliments my hair…”Really? I wasn’t sure if the headband was working, but I didn’t wash it last night so that I could have something to work with this morning..” You get the picture. I feel your pain, Sarah. Yet people continue to comment on our appearance, do they not? So I think they like the long winded-ness maybe???
Sarah, your blog posts make my days. Thank you. Also that’s an awesome idea with the pens! I would love to have one of those.
Those pens are awesome! I especially like the This Lullaby one. Perhaps you could give those out as a trivia prize when you’re tour to promote your next book. I still use the water bottle I won as a trivia prize last summer from one of your tours and I love it! Also thanks for the recommended reading with The Tragedy Paper. I just finished Looking for Alaska last night and now I have something else to read once I finish all of John Green’s books now!
when u do book signings. sign books and give the pens all casually when u give the books back. i wonder how many would give em back and say “hey u forgot ur pen” and how many people would keep em. social experiment much
Those pens are so pretty!
Keep writing Sarah! I love your books!
Wow, those pens are so awesome! I cannot wait for a giveaway with them!
The pictures/videos you post of them are always so cute!
BTW good luck finding homes for your chickens.
Those pens are awesome. I would totally want them, but I’ve become such a snob when it comes to pens for writing. I write everything on paper before typing it out, and I feel I have to have a nicely flowing pen for that.
Also, don’t feel bad about The Casual Vacancy. I’m sure it will be well-written, but I can’t bring myself to be excited about it, no matter how much I love Jo Rowling. I’m sure if I had a void of new books to read, I’d be jumping on it. As it is, though, I have many stacks of unread books, that are more my cup of tea. I did preorder the book way back when it was annouced, and I’m sure someone will talk me into reading it soon enough.
Those pens are soooooo awesomeee! I need them!!!
I looove pens.. its quite the addiction.
It’s so funny how we all get so excited about office supplies. I have way too many pens already, but I definitely need some of your quotables. I think your pen cannon is a brilliant idea, except, “Ouch!” You can poke an eye out with that! I just discovered your Friday Five, and I’m so glad I did.
I love your pens, Sarah! Can you send me one lol? I was just reading your twitter and saw your new book, The Moon And More, is almost underway. That’s so exciting! I hope you will be visitng Boston on your 2013 tour.
Sarah, for a few years I have also some kind of sadness because of short autumn days, and now I appreciate so much the spring days. But on the other hand there are so many books born in autumn. And the shades of fallling leaves and these staying still on trees are breathtaking. I remember that I had a chicken (a rooster also) when I was 12 years old. I still have his feather. Unfortunately, my grandmother did not save his life, You know what I mean. Well, I am now vegetarian.
I have to have one of those pens! You should have a competition and give them away.
Hi, Sarah–
Is your new book, The Moon and More, related to Keeping the Moon?
I feel totally weird posting about chickens, but…
My mom has chickens. One day she decided that it had been her lifelong dream to have a bunch of chickens since she experienced some traumatic event over 30years ago (aka her parents in China had a chicken and they kept it for a pet for awhile and then her parents ate it). But then of course, silly things like grad school and moving countries got in the way…
So a couple of years ago, she heads over to Home Depot and buys a ton of wood, etc and actually builds a chicken coop from scratch (“Ha ha my masters in engineering is so useful”) and then combs the internet for people selling chickens. My dad, my sister, and I were still in a state of shock of how quickly this chicken thing was coming along since none of us have ever really even seen a live chicken before. But one day she comes back with 5 baby chicks.
–now onto the relevant part– FOUR of them were roosters and they irritated the heck out of everyone. We live in a totally normal suburban area with maybe only half an acre of land for each house. The four rooster brothers did NOT like each other and all liked to crow at various times during the night, morning, afternoon, evening, midnight. In the end my mom contacted the seller and we asked to exchange them for hens since we didn’t know what to do with them and we were pretty certain our HOA didn’t even allow chickens to begin with…
But before we could exchange them, some type of carnivorous four-legged mammal got into the chicken coop and ate all the roosters. My mom ended up just paying extra for some more adult chickens so she could choose the gender and got 4 more hens. I think the lone female survivor is a bit too traumatized though since she only lays about one egg per week…
I love the pens!!!! Great idea! How can I get one?
You should totally do pens from The Truth About Forever, and Along for the Ride, two of my most favorite books ever.
Love the pens! The Just Listen quote is my favorite!
Sarah, I love your books! I can’t wait for your new one to come out. I will definitely be counting down the days
oh, and how do I get my hands on one of those pens? They are so cool